Music news

Tonight the YEN team will be swarming the Hollywood Hotel when our very own Imogene Barron takes to the decks for Levity Nights. Now into it's ninth week, Levity Nights is a 14 week experiment in cold beers and excellent local music - with previous guests including Red Riders, End of Fashion and WOW. As well as young Immy, tonight's entertainment also includes the spectacular all-girl DJ troupe that is Hoops. If you're a regular YEN online reader then you'll know all about these ladies, as I to talk about them quite a bit - but there's a reason okay? See for yourself tonight at the Hollywood, where entry is only $5 (almost unheard of around these parts) and doors open at 8pm.

To celebrate the release of The Dandy Warhols appropriately named new album, Earth to the Dandy Warhols, the good folk at Speak n Spell Records are throwing a free party for me and for you this Saturday night. Because a party's not a party until you've inadvertently grabbed someone's ass, punters will ushered into the wee little band room of the Birmingham hotel in Fitzroy. Once inside they'll be treated to a performance from locals The Last Gypsys and Retail fireworks as well as DJs Speak n Spell and Hartless. There will also be giveaways!!! And $2 pots for the first two hours!!! I'm not actually sure what $2 pots are (Melbourne thing?) but I don't think this is the first time I've heard it used in relation to the Dandy Warhols. Doors open from 8pm.

Wow. This is blowing my mind right now. The above video is the latest film clip from British stalwarts, Radiohead and in continuing their tradition of breakthrough concepts they have delivered their latest single "House of Cards". I still don¹t fully understand what¹s happening here, but instead of using traditional (and lets face it, outdated) cameras and lights, the entire thing is filmed using Geometric Informatics and Velodyne LIDAR These systems were used to fire lasers at Thom Yorke and the gang whilst simultaneously converting that data into the moving pictures you see above. What¹s even MORE amazing about this technology is as it is all data, not a series of rapidly moving pictures like we¹re used to, you are able to manipulate it in real time however you please. Kind of like an interactive itunes visualiser. Now if you¹ll excuse me I have to have a lie down before my head explodes.

I have a confession to make. Sometimes I tell my friends I’m too sick to go out on a Saturday night, and instead, stay at home drinking gin and listening to Fleetwood Mac and wishing I’d been born 30 years earlier. Now I’m glad I was born late enough to appreciate Ladyhawke’s Stevie Nicks/Blondie/Bruce Springsteen-meets-Peaches/New Young Pony Club/Phoenix “bunch of stuff”. I think you will be too.

Get to know Ladyhawke aka Pip ‘born in NZ - bred in Australia - residing in London’ Brown better at www.ladyhawkemusic.com. She will gleefully bend your sense of time and place.

A little while ago I posted an artfully made promo video for Beck's then-upcoming release, Modern Guilt. Since then the album has been released and oh-my-god it's good. Modern Guilt sees Mr Hansen revisit the slightly dour themes of Seachange but, perhaps with thanks to the producing talents of Danger Mouse,  saves it from being too foot dragging through the warming use of melody, surf-rock rhythms and retro synths. Above is the fresh-off-the-blogs video for first single Gamma Ray, a song which I think sums up what I'm woefully trying to explain about the album.  I have to say that I love, love ,love it.

French band Cocoon took a fair risk when they decided to sing in English, the official pop-and-rock mother tongue, two years ago. Was France ready for such a betrayal of their oh-so protected Gallic words? Lately, more and more French bands have decided to assume out-loud their attraction for Shakespeare’s language. Marc and Morgane, 22 and 19, spread their melodic soft songs with ukulele sprinkling and poetic twists –or maybe is it a very personal and sassy use of the foresaid English language, the very language at the heart of this very hot issue- « I feel like a pop-corn » is whispering among others whimsical lyrics all-charmingly-cheeky Marc while an all-blonde-fringed Morgane is hitting a gentle piano note. Cocoon has released their first album All my friends died in plane crash in Australia last January. More here.

They've played the sweatiest clubs and the flashiest fashion shin-digs and this Saturday night Sydney's favourite all-girl party gang, Hoops, is bringing the shake, pop and shine to Melbourne. Nina Las Vegas, Bad Ezzy and DJ Anna Lunoe will be playing at Seven nightclub, 52 Albert Rd in South Melbs with doors opening at ten. for a taste of what to expect, click here for a free and damn fine Hoops mixtape.